This Low-Carb, Dairy Free, Paleo Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is not only rich, creamy, and delicious, but it’s surprisingly easy to make too!
Paleo Fettuccine Alfredo
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Fettuccine Alfredo – I think it’s just in our DNA! There’s something about the creamy sauce and pasta that’s comforting and can’t be resisted 🙂 This gluten and dairy-free Paleo Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is not only rich, creamy, and delicious, but it’s surprisingly easy to make too. It consists of 3 parts, the noodles, the sauce, and the chicken. I usually start with the noodles because they take the longest to cook.
The Noodles
For the noodles there are 2 options:
- Gluten-Free Fettuccine noodles – I prefer Tinkyada
- Zucchini noodles
The Tinkyada pasta is the best gluten-free pasta I’ve come across, it tastes like traditional pasta and it’s not gritty and doesn’t get mushy. Or if you prefer the zucchini noodles, just spiralize them into ribbons, “sweat” them of their extra moisture, and then saute them until they are tender. When I make this dish I usually make both.
My family prefers the Tinkyada pasta but my tummy doesn’t handle grains so well so I make myself zucchini noodles. So just choose whatever works best for your family, both are yummy! I got pictures of the zucchini noodles, but none of the Tinkyada pasta – sorry!
For a step-by-step on how to spiralize zucchini noodles, see my Paleo Pesto Pasta recipe.
The Dairy-Free And Vegan Alfredo Sauce
For the sauce I used cashews to make it thick and creamy, then added non-dairy butter (ghee or oil would also work), chicken broth, water, lemon juice, and some spices to make it rich and authentic tasting – you can’t tell at all that it’s not packed with heavy cream and cups of butter!
Also, if you start blending the sauce and it seems runny don’t be alarmed. It will thicken up when you toss it with the hot noodles and turn out perfect. The first time I made this I heated the sauce up on the stove – bad move!!! When I did, it got CRAZY thick! I have yet to figure out why it gets so thick when heated, but it does. So just toss it with the hot noodles and you’ll be good to go!
The Blackened Chicken
First, you pound down the chicken so it’s not too thick – you don’t want the outside to burn and inside to not be cooked!
Then mix together the Cajun spices and cover them (along with some oil) all over the chicken…
The pretty pink kids bowl is optional, lol 🙂
and grill them over medium heat until done.
Then, allow the meat to rest a few minutes so it stays juicy and cut on the diagonal to be pretty.
That’s it! Just toss the sauce with the hot noodles, top with the blackened chicken, and garnish with parsley just to be fancy 🙂 Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Sauce may thicken when reheated, thin with some chicken broth or water if needed.
- Be sure to use Raw, Unsalted Cashews. The roasted and salted variety will not produce the same results.
- If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes up to several hours. This will soften the cashews and allow for easier blending.
Looking for more Low-Carb Paleo Dinner ideas? Check these out!
Keto Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
If you’ve tried this Paleo Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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Paleo "Fettuccine" Alfredo With Blackened Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Tinkyada Brown Rice Fettuccini Noodles OR
- 2 Zucchini Squash Per Person up to 4 people, spiralized (*see link above), salt, and oil as needed.
- Parsley for garnish
Alfredo Sauce:
- 1 C Raw Cashews
- 1/2 C Chicken Broth
- 1/2 C Water If you have a high speed blender you can slightly reduce for a thicker sauce
- 3 Tbsp. Ghee or Allowed Butter Liquified
- 1 tsp. Arrowroot or Starch of Choice optional
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/8 tsp. Black Pepper
- Pinch of Garlic Powder more to taste
- Pinch of Onion Powder more to taste
Blackened Chicken:
- 1 1/2 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 3)
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil or preferred oil, liquified
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 tsp. Paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Pepper
- 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Cumin
- 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a medium-sized bowl and cover with warm water, set aside.
For the noodles:
- Prepare the Tinkyada noodles as directed on package OR
- Spiralize 2 zucchini per person (up to 4 people) using the ribbon blade.
- Place the noodles on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with salt. Place in the oven on 200 degrees for 30 minutes. When the noodles come out of the oven give them a good squeeze in the paper towels to get out extra moisture.
- Just before serving, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the zucchini and saute until tender.
For the chicken:
- Cover the chicken with plastic wrap so chicken juices don't fly everywhere, and use the smooth side of a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken to no more than 1 inch thick.
- Mix all of the spices in a small bowl.
- Coat the chicken with oil, then rub the spice mixture on both sides of the chicken.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once heated, add as much chicken as will comfortably fit and cook approximately 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
- Allow chicken to rest for a minute or two, then cut diagonally.
For The Alfredo Sauce:
- Drain and rinse the cashews.
- Add the cashews and all of the remaining sauce ingredients to a high powdered blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed and toss with the hot noodles. Top with blackened chicken and sprinkle on parsley just to be fancy 🙂
Notes
- Nutrition Facts include blackened chicken but do not include pasta.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Sauce may thicken when reheated, thin with some chicken broth or water if needed.
- Be sure to use Raw, Unsalted Cashews. The roasted and salted variety will not produce the same results.
- If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes up to several hours. This will soften the cashews and allow for easier blending.
- This alfredo sauce thickens considerably when heated. I recommend tossing it with hot noodles to slightly thicken and heat through instead of heating separately on the stove.
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.
the Alfredo sauce was adapted from The Spunky Coconut’s recipe.
I made this, and could not believe how creamy the sauce was. I made regular fettuccine for our children, and I honestly preferred this,. I will definitely plan to serve this again!
Thank you, I’m so excited you liked it!!!
-Cassidy
I decided to try this for my husband’s birthday. Prior to finding out he has celiac 7 years ago, he loved Olive Garden’s fettuccine alfredo. He is also allergic to dairy. I was skeptical with having three non-allergy boys (ages 11, 8 and 5). The 8 year old is VERY picky. I had a backup plan of wings to throw in, but this was AMAZING! All my boys loved it and my husband can’t say enough how it was the best present he received. It is a keeper. In fact he asked me 3 times if I had written it down.
Oh YAY TL!!! I’m so happy you and your family liked it so much!!!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
XO,
Cassidy
Wow! My tummy smiles just reading this recipe 🙂 What changes would you make in the recipe if you substituted cashew milk instead of raw cashews? Thanks in advance for your reply and this great recipe!
Hi Katrena, since I haven’t tried it I can’t say for sure but… make sure to use unsweetened cashew milk. Also, the cashew milk won’t be as thick so you might need to put the mixture on the stove and add some tapioca (arrowroot will make it slimy) mixed with water when it’s heated to thicken it. Let me know how it turns out!!!!
-Cassidy
Made this for dinner tonight…wonderful, wonderful! I substituted 1 cup cashew milk (unsweetened) instead of 1 cup raw cashews. Also, I used 1 tsp organic corn starch for my starch of choice and it thickened wonderfully. I used Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Rice Noodles (gluten free). They were very tasty, and they cook in 5 minutes. I will be trying the zucchini noodles next time! Also, I eliminated all salt that was called for in the recipe, as most new recipes are too salty for my tastebuds…wrong! I added it all back in…perfect amount of salt listed in your ingredients…thanks so much for a gluten-free, dairy-free recipe! Can’t wait to check out your others 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight…wonderful, wonderful! Great tasting and super quick dinner when made with rice noodles! I substituted 1 cup cashew milk (unsweetened) instead of 1 cup raw cashews. Also, I used 1 tsp organic corn starch for my starch of choice and it thickened wonderfully. I used Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Rice Noodles (gluten free) as I already had these in my pantry. They were very tasty, and they cook in 5 minutes. I will be trying the zucchini noodles next time! Also, I eliminated all salt that was called for in the recipe, as most new recipes are too salty for my tastebuds…wrong! I added it all back in…perfect amount of salt listed in your ingredients…Also, I added chives for garnish….again, thanks so much for a great gluten-free, dairy-free recipe! Can’t wait to check out your others 🙂
YAY!!!! I’m so happy you liked it and the cashew milk worked!!!!! Thanks for the feedback 🙂 🙂
XO,
Cassidy
Dying to try this!! I love fettuccine Alfredo but am sensitive to dairy.
Cassidy,
I love this recipe, especially the sauce. Tonight I am serving the sauce with spaghetti squash and left over roast chicken. Very easy healthy dinner!
I’m glad you like this Kim – I’ll have to try it with spaghetti squash! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
-Cassidy
I was wondering if there is a non nut sub for the cashews…my kids have terrible nut allergies…including soy and peanuts.
tia
Hi Aliyanna!
I’m sorry to hear about your kids nut allergies 🙁 I don’t have a nut free substitution for this recipe, but I’ve seen a lot of recipes lately for dairy free alfredo sauces using cauliflower as a base. I haven’t tried it yet but some of the recipes look good. You could probably just google ‘dairy free alfredo sauce using cauliflower’ and find a good recipe 🙂 I hope this helps!
-Cassidy
Goodness me……. wow!! That looks amazing, Cassidy! Like the real deal! Thanks for sharing it on Gluten Free & DIY Tuesday – I’m featuring it this week!
Hugs,
Megan
looks great Cass, featuring it this week!
Aw, thanks Tessa 🙂
xo,
Cassidy
Oh, Cassidy, this recipe looks beyond incredible! I agree on everyone loving Fettucine Alfredo. I sure do! Love the zucchini noodle option, too. And the blackened chicken. I could go on. 😉 Just shared on Facebook. 🙂
xo,
Shirley
Thanks so much for sharing Shirley 🙂
Love,
Cassidy
Wow! I made this last night for my family and they went bonkers. My son and I are GFCF, and my daughter has 7 severe food allergies, so finding a recipe for a classic dish like this was heaven-sent. The sauce was SO good. I followed the recipe almost exactly except I added about 2 more tbsp of chicken broth so the sauce wasn’t too thick (my vitamin blender heated it up and it was barely pourable). I can’t wait for the next recipe you share so I can wow my family again!
Thanks for the nice comment Erica, I’m SO happy you and your family liked it 🙂
-Cassidy